


No Pop Necessary

by writingramblr



Category: The Princess Diaries - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-12
Updated: 2014-11-12
Packaged: 2018-02-25 01:51:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2604206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/writingramblr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Mia returns to her room the night after the parade, a certain suitor is throwing pebbles at her window, but it's the last man she'd expect.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>[Alternate look at how things could have gone, if Andrew wasn't quite so genteel and willing to take a risk ]</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Pop Necessary

**Author's Note:**

> there's a couple au stories on ffnet with Andrew/Mia, but nothing on here yet, so here we go breaking new ship ground. It's just a one shot, and frankly so fluffy you might die.

"Mia I can't believe what you did today in the parade! It was amazing. Those girls and boys looked so happy."

Lilly gushed, and Mia grinned at her friend as she started to finger comb her hair,

"Well I just hope no one gets in trouble for letting me do it."

Lilly rolled her eyes and Mia was almost tempted to do the same.

"Since when being nice worthy of trouble?"

"Well you know, stepping out of line, spending money on plastic crowns..."

Mia trailed off, and she frowned. It sounded as if it was hailing against the window, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Do you hear that?"

Mia asked Lilly, stepping towards the window, ready to retreat at any moment. 

Lilly pushed ahead, throwing herself at the window before shrieking with a voice that probably woke half the palace.

Mia dissolved into giggles trying to shush her, and Lilly pointed,

"It’s your future Prince charming! He's tossing rocks at your window."

Mia's eyes widened,

"What? Are you sure?"

She tipped closer, and peered down to find Andrew grinning sheepishly up at her.

"Hello Amelia."

He lifted a hand and gave her a small wave, a much more casual version of his regal one.

Mia didn't like anyone calling her that, because it had been what her father addressed her by, but in that very instant, she decided she liked the way he said it.

"What are you doing?"

She half whispered and half hissed.

Andrew shrugged, and his other hand lifted to show her the small gleaming pebbles on his palm.

"Trying to be spontaneous I guess. Would you like to come take a walk with me in the moonlight?"

Mia glanced at the night sky, and couldn't actually see the moon for all the trees.

"Does that line usually work on other princesses? Besides, I'd break my royal neck getting down there in the first place."

Andrew looked thoughtful, but not deterred,

"I would catch you if you slipped. But somehow I trust you're a much better climber than you pretend to be."

He winked at her, honest to god actually winked, and Mia turned to Lilly, stunned.

"What should I do?"

Lilly rolled her eyes again and shoved Mia towards the window sill,

"You should go! Take this chance to bond with your future husband. I'll cover for you."

Mia grabbed a sweater and threw it on over her very modest silk pajamas, then as an afterthought snagged a blanket and threw it down out the window first.

Andrew looked surprised but he caught it perfectly all the same.

"Ready when you are princess."

Mia might have glared at him if she wasn't focused so hard on not falling on her ass.

Just as he promised, Andrew was there to catch her when her foot snagged on a branch, and she fought the urge to scream as she free fell for about two feet.

His strong arms under her took her breath away.

His face was suddenly very close and she tried to remember to breath.

"Thanks. I told you."

Andrew smiled and it was an almost tender expression,

"As did I. Shall we commandeer a couple of horses, or would you prefer to walk on foot?"

Mia frowned for a moment, as he helped her back to her feet,

"Did you not plan everything out? That's extremely strange. Lord by the book. Come to think of it, is this all a joke? Trying to get me in more trouble before the coronation?"

Andrew swallowed and she watched his Adams apple bob,

"I assure you Amelia, I would never play a prank on you without warning you, at least somewhat beforehand. I honestly want a chance to get to know you, without all the cameras and handmaids and guards."

Mia gulped and nodded, feeling rather guilty for even thinking he would do such a thing. The whole idea of an elaborate hoax was more up that rotten Nicholas's alley anyway.

"Okay. Sure. Let’s walk and talk."

Andrew smiled,

"Wonderful. Let me retrieve my satchel and I shall let you take my arm, unless...you'd be alright with holding hands?"

Mia gaped at him, and then she realized the truth was most of the time there was two feet between them and millions of people (it felt like) around them.

"Okay."

She had been reduced to one word replies, brilliant.

***

Neither of them noticed Nicholas himself watching them go, strolling under the moonlight dappled trees, hand in hand, talking easily in each other's presence.

"Good job Lord Jacoby, you are smarter than you look."

***

They walked for quite a ways, until they came to the man made lake in the center of the palace property.

"Would you like to see my portfolio? I just finished it this afternoon."

Andrew held up his bag, and Mia nodded.

"Only if you promise that there aren’t any horrible photos of me in there." She made a face, even as he looked the opposite, completely serious.

She also realized just how handsome he could look in even dim lighting.

"Amelia, I would never use a photograph of you if I didn't think you looked absolutely breathtaking. In these, you do."

He opened the leather bound book and she was shocked yet again. There were photos of her at various events they'd attended, and there were beautiful shots of nature scenes, but the photo that stood out was one of them at the beach, that first day. Although she hadn't been paying much attention to his camera use, somehow he'd managed to take a picture of her midway through a laugh, and she looked...well, like he'd said.

Breathtaking, regal, and happy.

It had all been for show, to cover the horrible amount of nerves she'd been experiencing. 

"How did you do this?"

She asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

"It was easy. You're a true treasure to this country."

Mia blushed and ducked her head, avoiding his eyes,

"I don't know about that. No one thinks I can do it, you know, run this place. Even I don't know anymore. But I'm trying to be brave, everyday. It’s just hard."

Andrew squeezed her hand gently in his,

"The people will be patient. They will come to love and trust you. How could they not? You are kind, and you will be a wonderful queen. I will be honored to sit at your side."

Mia smiled and barely kept herself from smacking his shoulder, as she would have done with Lilly for giving her an extremely exaggerated compliment. But she only saw sincerity in his green eyes.

"May I ask you something?"

Mia bit her lip, and Andrew waited for her reply,

"You just did...but okay. What?"

Andrew suddenly looked nervous,

"Would you do me the honor of a dance? I don't believe we'll get the chance again before the ceremony, and I'd hate to step on your toes because I've been tutored wrong."

Mia grinned,

"Sure yeah. Why not? The moon won't judge us if we miss a step."

Andrew helped her to her feet, from where they'd been sitting, side by side on the blanket Mia had thought to bring.

Once Mia thought she was in the right position, she started humming the song Clarisse had sung at the slumber party.

Andrew startled her by pressing his hand on her hip around to her lower back, and pulling her close.

"You could sing, if you like. If your voice is anything like the queens’, I'd be glad to hear it."

Mia suddenly stopped humming and blushed, 

"Oh no, I couldn't. That's too embarrassing for me. Well...if maybe if you tell me an embarrassing secret of yours, then maybe..."

She trailed off and she didn’t really expect him to comply, but Andrew surprised her again and spoke, looking thoughtful,

"Until I was old enough, my parents wouldn't buy me film. So I simply took hundreds of pictures and tried to commit them to memory. Didn't work, but I had lots of fun."

Mia fought the urge to giggle, imagining a little Andrew running about clicking the camera shutter like mad, and happily converting the pictures to mental images.

"That must have been a wonderful thing, to finally print out your pictures,"

Andrew nodded and hummed,

"Indeed, now Princess, it's your turn."

Mia didn't want to avoid the question. When she let her chin fall to rest on his shoulder, he didn't say or do anything to discourage her.

It was surprisingly comfy,

"I wasn't very popular at school, before all this. All I could think was, if i only had a way to prove my worth, I'd give anything. And the rest is history."

Andrew sighed, and she felt his beating heart speed up slightly under her hand at his shoulder,

"Amelia...Mia, I'd like to kiss you. If I may."

Mia's own heart nearly broke at the way he asked her. No one had ever been so cautious and seeming to think of her as so precious before in her life.

"Okay."

The last thing she thought before his lips met hers in a soft press was a worry that her foot wouldn't pop, and so it couldn't be true love.

But with Michael her foot had popped, and look how that had turned out.

Mia sighed and Andrew pulled her closer, letting her have most of the control over the kiss. Her hands shifted from holding his and moved to encircle his neck. Now there was little to no space between them.

When they finally parted for air, Andrew was smiling gently at her, and Mia was blushing again. 

"What?"

"I was just thinking. If you'd said no, I would have needed the excuse that it was just practice for the wedding."

Mia ruffled his hair, messing up the perfect coiffure and drawing an amused annoyed look from him.

"As If I would say no to a kiss from my Prince…er Lord."

Andrews face lit up like a kid at Christmas,

"Really?"

Mia nodded, suddenly feeling unsure; she bit her bottom lip, and noted how they had both gotten a bit swollen from the kiss. Lord Jacoby had skill.

"You're not regretting this?"

Mia shook her head,

"No. You may be too good for me, but I plan to try to become someone who could be worthy of you."

Andrew did something then that stunned her again, and she started wondering how much time he'd spent around Lilly.

He rolled his eyes at her,

"Oh Amelia...I'm no more worthy of you than you think you are of me. We're two people who met in the most organized and extraordinary way. But this," he gestured between them, where there still wasn't even room for a butterfly to fit through, "Can't be arranged. I mean, I feel like I'm falling for you."

Mia grinned,

"I don't know but, I think I may be too."

Andrew narrowed his eyes playfully at her.

"Did you mean to make that rhyme with what I just said?"

Mia nodded,

"It’s from a song lyric. So I was quoting technically."

Andrew reached up to cup her cheek with his hand, his eyes dropping to focus on her lips for a moment, before reaching back up to her own.

"You're incorrigible."

Mia frowned at him,

"Does that mean I get another kiss?"

Andrew didn't say a word, but leaned in and did just as his future queen commanded.

***

**End**

 


End file.
